The Stretch Dawn Jeans

I had spent quite a bit of time perfecting the Dawn pattern, and it seemed a shame not to capitalise on that. The pattern as is doesn't fit me well in the upper thighs and butt, but I did only give my first pair of Dawn jeans (here!) away to a friend recently, so they have stayed around.  My second pair in yellow was too tight, my third pair in green is amazing but nonstretch denim is just...not always my first choice.  So how about doing them with stretch?  

I used the longer leg pattern pieces and added the crotch and upper thigh adjustments from the Persephone pants that I had used on my yellow and green versions.  Sewing was uneventful and the result was...hm...actually surprisingly roomy.  

Ends up that I do like these, but the ankle length sort of scoots up, catching on my calves as I walk around and they are rather oversized around the butt and thighs, and a bit sloppy looking.  I guess the lesson here is that you need to size down when using a non-stretch pattern to make stretch jeans.  I had long since forgotten that I added room in the calves in the original pair of these, too.  The loose fit hasn't stopped me from wearing these jeans since at the moment they are my only simple me-made ones, but I don't feel like a fashion maven in them, so clearly I need to keep making more jeans until I find the fit that suits me right now.

I don't know where my flat lay photos went!  

These have already gone on to a friend (it's been a busy time for jeans in the past few months) so you will have to do without.

High waisted Ginger jeans, a review

So, I have gotten in to the habit of making "themes" with my jeans. These were to be the jungle jeans, with the cute animal print pockets and a matching colour scheme.  But I had some irritations along the way, and by the end I was not very enthusiastic about these.  Certainly didn't help that when I pulled them on sans waistband they were way too snug.

 But to start from the beginning 

I've made the low waisted Gingers a number of times. Always using really hyperstretchy fabrics, borderline jeggings style, and they have always opened up to a horrific gaping waist.  I expected this pattern to be the magic fix.  I compared the fit of the pattern pieces and they are the same.  I made size 4, and based on how much fabric I had bagging up on my legs, I shortened the fit: 1 cm at the rise, 1 cm at the mid-upper thigh, and 1" off the hem.  

This is pretty normal stretch denim - it has some stretch, but you aren't going to do yoga in it. 

So when I got to that try on phase and I couldn't get the jeans on: 

I opened up the side seams another 3/8" which has improved the fit enough that I can get them onto my body, but overall I think they don't have a good butt fit - looks like a bubble butt, and despite the marked pocket location being ok on previous versions these are way too low.  I've never had a pair of jeans I put on and thought were actually completely unwearable, so this was really a blow.  I guess the ultra-stretchy fabrics I was previously using made a huge difference.  It may also be that the snugger fit makes the butt fit look worse.  Since before they were loose in that area I think it sat differently.  

 Excuse some of the colours in the photos, I overexposed them in various ways so you could actually see the jeans.

 

 So, I'm actually going to make another pair of Gingers. The low waisted Gingers.  In another very light, stretchy denim. I think if I narrow them towards the waist by shrinking the yoke and removing a wedge from the front waist I might be able to get a better waistband fit.  I also noticed when I read through my blog that I did a wide quads and a wide calf adjustment. I'm not sure why I didn't notice these since I had the pattern pieces out - you just slash through the middle of the pattern piece vertically, and spread it open like a fishtail dart.  It is probably hard to replicate precisely the same each time since it's not taped into position.  They wouldn't have made these jeans a success but I might have fit into them a bit better if I had realised and added that adjustment.